Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kent State
Softball Wins East Division Title
May 04, 2001 | Softball
May 4, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball team pounded out 10 hits, including a pair of homeruns, and posted a 7-2 victory over Kent State University Friday (May 4). The game, the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference weekend series, was held at the BGSU Softball Field.
With the win, the Falcons clinched the MAC's East Division title outright. The Falcons, now 18-4 in MAC play, hold a three-game lead over the second-place Golden Flashes (15-7 MAC) with two to play. BGSU is 33-16 overall, while KSU drops to 30-19.
The Falcons got on the board quickly, scoring three times in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Nikki Rouhana led off the inning with a walk, and classmate Jen Domschot followed suit, drawing a one-out base on balls. That set the table for junior Renee Rosemeier, who drilled a 1-1 pitch over the fence in leftfield.
The homer was Rosemeier's fifth of the season, which -- at the time -- tied her for the team lead.
The Golden Flashes stormed right back in the second inning to cut the BG lead to a single run. Grete Hornstrom singled with one out, and Renee Lynch tripled into the rightfield corner to get the Flashes on the board. Then, Megan McGaughey reached on a fielder's choice, with Lynch scoring ahead of the BG throw to the plate. But, Falcon hurler Jessie Milosek worked out of any further damage. The junior allowed another single to put runners on first and second, but then got a fielder's choice and struck out Marci Ridenbaugh to end the inning.
The Falcons scored a run in the third. Senior Angie Domschot, who went 3-for-4 on the day, had a one-out single, and came around to score on a double by senior Lynsey Ebel that landed just inside the left-field line.
The Flashes threatened in the fourth, but a great defensive play by Rosemeier kept the visitors off the scoreboard. McGaughey and Laura Weigand began the inning with back-to-back singles, and the next hitter, Christy Townsend, hit a fly ball to right. Rosemeier, the BG rightfielder, made a nifty, over-the-shoulder catch while running with her back to the plate. Milosek then got a pair of infield grounders to end the inning.
The Brown and Orange increased the lead to 5-2 in the fourth. Freshman Valerie Tipton drew a leadoff walk, and junior Holly Frantz moved pinch-runner Natalie Phillips to second with a sacrifice bunt. Then, after an infield hit and a popup for the second out, Jen Domschot singled to rightfield to score Phillips.
BGSU completed the scoring in the fifth. After Angie Domschot singled to begin the frame, Ebel smashed a homerun to left-centerfield. The homer was her sixth of the season and the 14th of her career.
Ebel has matched the school record for round-trippers in a season, set by Jen Domschot last year, and she retook the BGSU career record, moving past Jen Domschot.
The Falcons now have a team total of 21 homers this year, another school record. Leigh Ross-Shaw's first team had set the record, with 19 in 1999, and last year's BG squad had matched that mark.
Milosek set the Flashes down in order in the sixth, and allowed just a one-out single in the seventh. She moved to 8-6 on the year with her complete-game win. Milosek allowed seven hits and two runs, walking one batter and striking out two.
Kate Leary took the loss for the Golden Flashes, dropping to 11-6. Leary allowed all seven runs and eight hits in her four-plus innings of work. She walked four batters and fanned one.
Taylor Fleming pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and one walk, while recording one strikeout.
The BGSU single-season record for RBI changed several times in the game. Ebel had entered the game with 35, tying her for the school record (set by Dena Romstadt in 1992). But, Rosemeier moved past Ebel with her first-inning homer, raising her seasonal total to 36 RBI.
Ebel, however, tied Rosemeier with her third-inning RBI double, and moved ahead with her fifth-inning homer. Ebel now has 38 RBI this season, which stands as the school record.
Jen Domschot's RBI in the fourth gives her a total of 32 this year, which places her third on the team this year, and fourth on the single-season list.
The Falcons and Golden Flashes will complete the regular season with a Saturday (May 5) doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the BGSU Softball Field. The Falcons remain tied with Central Michigan for the best overall record in the MAC, after CMU's 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan Friday. CMU, however, holds the tiebreaker, meaning that the Falcons need to win one more game than the Chippewas on Saturday in order for BG to host the MAC Tournament. The league tourney will be held May 10-12 in either Mount Pleasant or BG.
